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Minister of State Ablonczy to Attend OAS General Assembly in El Salvado

Minister of State Ablonczy to Attend OAS General Assembly in El Salvador

(No. 152 - June 2, 2011 - 11:30 a.m. ET) The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs), will attend the 41st Regular Session of the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly, which will take place in San Salvador, El Salvador, from June 5 to 7, 2011.

“Canada views the OAS as the principal multilateral organization in the Americas and as a crucial venue for cooperation with hemispheric partners,” said Minister of State Ablonczy. “Canada is committed to strengthening the organization in support of key hemispheric issues such as democratic governance, respect for human rights, security and the rule of law.”

“Canada welcomes the Government of El Salvador’s decision to focus on citizen security at this year’s General Assembly,” said Minister of State Ablonczy. “Security and human rights constitute two of Canada’s priority areas of engagement at the OAS. Canada looks forward to working with all member states to strengthen the ability of the OAS to protect citizens throughout the hemisphere from a broad range of security threats.”

While in El Salvador, Minister of State Ablonczy will attend formal plenary sessions of the General Assembly, and a private dialogue of foreign ministers on key hemispheric issues. She will also participate in a ministerial-level meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group in preparation for the Sixth Summit of the Americas, to be held April 14-15, 2012, in Cartagena, Colombia. As well, Minister of State Ablonczy will hold a number of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers from throughout the region, including with El Salvador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugo Martínez. She will also meet with José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the OAS, and will participate in a dialogue of heads of delegations with civil society organizations.

In addition to her attendance at the General Assembly, Minister of State Ablonczy will also undertake a number of meetings related to Canada’s bilateral relationship with El Salvador, including a meeting with representatives of the Canadian business community in El Salvador.

“Canada greatly values its relationship with El Salvador,” added the Minister of State. “I look forward to strengthening our ties with an important partner in the hemisphere.”